1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a litter box liner and more specifically to a litter box liner that fits snugly to a cat litter box and that resists tears from the animal's claws.
2. Description of the Related Art
Liners have been used in litter boxes for many years. They often take the form of a bag having an open mouth. When installed on the litter box, one panel of the bag is placed in the litter box cavity and is flexible enough to conform generally to the shape of the cavity. Litter, such as cat litter, can then be placed in the cavity with the liner generally preventing contact with the litter box. In order to provide a universal fit, such liners tend to be oversized or stretchable so that they can accommodate both large and small litter boxes. This can lead to problems. If there is sufficient excess material in the liner, for example, the liner can move or shift during use of the litter box by an animal, such as a cat, which can lead to litter going into the litter box itself. A stretchable liner may, for example, provide weakened stretch areas, where an animal's claw may more readily puncture the liner.
Typical litter box liners are well-known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,227,137, issued to Goldman; 5,006,379, issued to Paciullo; 4,872,420 issued to Shepard; 5,983,832 issued to Seo; 5,038,721 issued to Ouellette; 6,453,845 issued to Efrati; and 5,115,766 issued to Williams each describe various types of litter box liners.
More specifically, Williams describes a litter box liner that may include a folded bottom. Litter box liners with folded bottoms may present problems where litter or animal waste may get trapped in the folds. Other litter box liners, like that of Efrati, may include straight side walls, that is, side walls that may be perpendicular to the bottom. Many typical litter boxes may be designed with tapered walls and, therefore, box liners with straight side walls may have trouble properly fitting into these typical litter boxes.
Accordingly, what is needed is a simple, easy-to-use and cost effective litter box liner that provides durability, a simple and reliable closure, and a shape that is complementary to the function of the litter box.